As it gets closer to what would’ve been my friends birthday I realize I don’t have the distraction of going to Italy this year. I am, however, officially going to Australia in June! I’m beyond excited. I can’t even believe it’s happening.

The thing is, that’s for two weeks. I’m going to need something to do here. I was at Home Depot with my Mom picking up drawer pulls and saw a magic display of seeds. The colours! The food! The promise!

I’ve always been attracted to growing things from seed. I have one problem: patience. Or, more specifically, my lack thereof. “I’m more mature now. I’ve grown out of that phase.” hahahaha, yeah right.

These are my seedlings last week. I’ve repotted some stuff, but it remains the same. Cilantro, dill, chives, lavender and chili peppers were my big home depot score- my Mom stopped me before I got to the thyme, parsley, and literally everything else they sold. I also read somewhere about opening a chamomile tea bag and it grows into chamomile. I’m not to sure about that one to be honest. I also found some bergamot seeds that I’m taking a chance on.

The eggshell planters are something I read about… I’m not sure I’m sold on it. I’ve put some of them in the smaller starters.

My mom’s friend also gave us starters for cilantro, parsley and marjoram! I’ve already put those in the garden! The rest of the pots are in “greenhouses” my dad assembled. I can’t give details on those since I still can’t believe he managed to get them to work.

My Nonna also gave me a peony plant from her garden. I want to edge where I planted it with lavender so I have this amazing smelling place. My mom got a single rose in a bouquet a week ago. In my pinterest adventures I saw a pin that says if you cut up a rose stem and pop it in a potato you get new rose plants. I put one piece of the stem on either side of the peony. It’s been about a week, and I’m not going to lie I wasn’t optimistic about this one, but the rose stems are starting to turn green so there might be a trick to this one.

Speaking of potatoes, my dad got a bit excited about this new adventure. The man’s always wanted to get back to his farming roots, case in point: garlic.

He also rolled up from the Okanagon with about 5 pounds of Russian garlic for us to plant. We’re just now finishing our garlic from last year, and I’m hoping to preserve some of it…. somehow this year. Garlic jelly? Onion and garlic jam? Pickled garlic?

Luckily I love garlic.

So anyway, my dad and I went on a plant shopping trip which led too……………

This plot of yellow onions, shallots and yukon gold potatoes….

Peppermint……

and raspberries, red currants, lingonberries and blueberries. On the far right you can see some of our wild blackberry bushes. The raspberry is literally just a piece of wood. I haven’t noticed any changes. I’m a little skeptical. I feel like it’s a long haul plant. Like in 2 or 3 we’ll have some badass raspberries. Ugh, patience.

The patio wanted in on the action, so we got a cherry tomato plant, and a strawberry planter. The cherry tomato already has a small green tomato! I don’t know why they were on clearance, but with results like that I wish we’d bought like 50. Or the other 8 they had in stock.

Not pictured: Alpine Strawberries. Smaller strawberries- about the size of a blackberry or raspberry. I fell in love with them in Italy and have had quite the time hunting them down.

Basically the name of the game is some frutti di bosco. Fruits of the forest.

The main thing I’ve noticed though is that it’s encouraged me to leave the house at least once a day. It’s helped my mood so much. Sometimes you need a reason, however small, to get out of bed in the morning.

Also, I have a weirdly strong sense of pride in the fact that my cilantro is starting to sprout leaves that actually look like cilantro. Today my dill sprouted feathery, gorgeous leaves.

I realize things this year probably won’t turn out very well, it is, after all, my first year. But I’ve made sure to label everything. Which plants are potting soil, which had eggs used, which are fresh seeds….. Next year I’ll hopefully have a really good knowledge pool to make the best garden ever.